Catchphrases (explained)

From the mouths of babes ...

Every house has its catchphrases - little things that, once said, catch on and find their way into conversations for years afterward and become in-jokes. With four kids, we have quite a few. Here are some of our favorites.

"Hello, ladies - I'm riding with you!" (Will)

This one stemmed from a 2007 trip to visit our family in Cleveland. They took us tubing on their speedboat, and Will couldn't wait to ride with cousin Lauren and her friend. When it was his turn, that was his excited introduction to the girls on the tube. We expect to hear it again when he's a teenager.

"M-m-m-m-my money!" (Brandon)

B-Man is a money hound, and he has been since he could walk. (He recently took his wallet to first grade recess to show off his "gangsta roll.") At age 2, there's nothing he treasured more than his wallet, with about two dollars in change in collected. So, of course, one of Mom and Dad's favorite punishments was taking said wallet away. The threat was often followed by that exclamation, (st)uttered in disbelief and frustration.

"Then why don't you marry it?" (Gabi)

When Gabi was, ahem, FOUR years old (way before she was able to learn it from kindergarten), she and Daddy had a conversation about dessert. Daddy stated his love for ice cream. Gabi retorted with that bon mot. The funniest thing was the way she said it - under her breath, as an almost-embarrassed aside.

"AND, Daddy ..." (Isabelle)

Before Izzy could write, we would dictate her love notes to Mommy and Daddy. Daddy's tended to go on for awhile. "AND, Daddy, I love it when you take me swimming. AND, Daddy, I like our bike rides. AND, Daddy ..."